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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Rescue Beauty Lounge: An Introduction, 360 and Anne

I consider this super time-sensitive information so I'm taking a not-so-quick break off my reading to post this!

I haven't blogged about Rescue Beauty Lounge before, but let it officially be known that it is my favorite nail polish brand. Within my modest nail polish collection Rescue Beauty Lounge trumps all other brands in terms of the sheer number that I own. I've also had the pleasure to visit the physical salon before it closed down and it is where I received the best and cleanest mani/pedi of my life. The experience set such a high standard in me for how nail salons should be that since then I haven't been tempted to visit any other. I'm afraid I've become something of a nail salon snob.

I've also had the pleasure to meet RBL founder Ji Baek, who is so incredibly stylish (she looked like an elegant phoenix the day I met her) and nice in person. It was great to put a face to the name and stellar personalized customer service I receive from the company. I also stalk the Rescue Beauty Facebook page quite frequently and actually remember the conversation where RBL fans first coined the term "ReBeL" to describe the most ardent of followers.

So why is this time-sensitive? For those who aren't familiar with the brand, the Rescue Beauty Lounge color collection only consists of about four to five "core" colors, while everything else is limited edition. Once it sells out, it will be gone forever unless voted back during Bring it Back events. RBL has one of the best and most consistent nail polish formulas in the industry and many of the colors Ji doles out are truly unique (unfortunately, currently many of "the best" are already sold out).

Now, Ji just released a new batch of BiBs, consisting of some of the most coveted shades in recent RBL history. Mismas, Scrangie, and Orbis Non Sufficit were created in collaboration with three premier nail bloggers and was brought back in one go due to overwhelming support. There's Locavore, which I didn't get because I'm not too huge on multi-colored glitter, and then there's 360 and Anne, which I voted for and was so grateful they came back because they were sold out by the time I joined the party.

360

I don't know the back story for 360, but I used this shade for my manicure when I visited the Lounge and thus an instant love and longing for this dusty blue-green shade was born. It's a total one-coater (though of course I did two) and like all RBL shades was a dream to apply. They last like you wouldn't believe as well. When I did my nails at the Lounge it took two weeks before they even started to chip. While I don't have the same skills of their technicians, I've done my dishes thrice since application and I barely spot a chip in my manicure. This definitely does not happen with most of my other polishes.

Anne

The dusky olive-green Anne was part of the Tudor collection inspired by four of Henry the VIII's wives. This collection has been in such high demand that Ji has promised to Bring it Back before the end of the year. I already own Catherine H and Jane, and I'm excited to be able to complete my collection of the four queens soon.

My photos don't do Anne justice. In this two-dimensional view I can't seem to capture the warm brassy undertones you'll see when it reflects light. This polish is a delight for the eyes, as it will look different in every lighting situation. Even just looking at the color in the bottle provided me with an inordinate amount of fascination and fun.

The great thing about Ji is she makes sure she has ample quantities of limited edition goods so they won't sell out before the collection reaches the public (email subscribers get first dibs on new releases). That said, some of her products are in such high demand that I heard a couple of these BiBs are already at less than 50 percent inventory.

I recommend a good amount of anxiety at the thought of missing out on RBL's limited edition shades. I've learned from previous mistakes that it is better to trust Ji and order every single piece in her new collections rather than wait, because it's easier to swap or sell the unwanted shade (if any!) than to procure it on a later date (a quick eBay search will show that some of her older colors go up to $50 or higher).

Rescue Beauty Lounge 360 and Anne retail for $18, as do all of her other polishes, and are exclusively available at rescuebeauty.com. The company provides free shipping to U.S. orders over $100 and international orders over $200.

I have on Anne on my nails right now too, I was lucky to get it on the BiBs. I think my HG RBL shade, Grunge has some competition! I am thinking about getting Scrangie and Locavore while I still have a chance!

I had been wondering how you were enjoying your RBL order! We got identical BiB colors, if I recall correctly. I haven't tried on any of mine yet, shame on me. I'm wearing Chanel Rose Cache right now. What can I say? I'm in a neutrals mood.

I'm wearing my Anne mani too! I'm not a glittery gal, but I think I will put in a second order for Locavore because I'm extremely intrigued by the idea of a holiday mani....a french manicure with Chinoise(my HG red!)as the base and Locavore tips. I just have to try it!

Hi, lovelies. Due to excessive spam, I would appreciate it if you refrain from including self-promoting links in your comments! This ensures that your comment will be visible and keeps the section clean. I look forward to hearing from you!